Paddock Girls: Phillip Island

Paddock Girls: Phillip Island

Successful debut season not over yet for Spies

Monday, 18 October 2010

The Monster Yamaha Tech 3 rider was confirmed as the 2010 Rookie of the Year following his fifth-placed finish at the Iveco Australian Grand Prix, but he is refusing to sit back and relax with two rounds still to go.

Spies takes Rookie of Year 2010

Ben Spies achieved another impressive top-five finish in his debut MotoGP season on Sunday at Phillip Island, and with his result was confirmed as the 2010 Rookie of the Year.

Having impressed highly in his first full season in the premier class the American of the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 team has achieved two podium finishes, a pole position and been rewarded with a factory ride with the Japanese manufacturer for 2011, but his work is not done yet.

“I'm happy to be Rookie of the Year. I beat a lot of good guys for that and it will be an achievement I can be proud of at the end of the season,” said the 26 year-old Texan following his fifth-placed finish in the Iveco Australian Grand Prix.

“I've had some good results during this three-week stretch and I'm now looking forward to the last two rounds. I would like to get another podium so that is the goal. We'll ride as hard as we can in these last two races.”

At Phillip Island Spies started from the front row of the grid â€" the third time he has done so this year â€" and after struggling to establish a rhythm early in the race eventually won a battle with fellow rookie Marco Simoncelli for fifth. Spies felt after the race however that he could have challenged compatriot Nicky Hayden and Valentino Rossi in the scrap for the final podium place.

“It's a top five so I'm happy with it, but I just couldn't quite get rolling at the beginning,” Spies said as he began to analyse his race. “You never know what could have happened â€" we had the pace to battle with Nicky and Valentino today but I just didn't put it together when it mattered. Once the race got settled down the pace was the same between us, but I just couldn't close it.”

He continued: “Marco then got on the back of me and I sped up a bit... I just waited and he made a few small mistakes and I then made my move, put my head down and made sure I had a gap with about five laps to go and then it was just a case of cruising in.”

Following the result Spies remains in sixth position in the Championship standings and is still the highest placed satellite team rider.

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